Key Treatment Approach for Drug and Substance Abuse

To treat addiction effectively, each patient should get a personalized cure that focuses on their symptoms and erase triggers that cause the ailment. Addiction to drugs and substances starts with taking them voluntarily. Still, as time goes on, a person’s choice to do so willingly is compromised, leaving the addict with no other option than to get deeper into drug abuse.

What is drug addiction? It is a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable desire for drugs and alcohol. The major effects of the drugs are:

  • Chances of stroke and brain damage
  • Lung illness
  • Abdominal pain and lack of appetite leading to weight loss
  • Weakened immune system exposing a person to various infections
  • Various heart conditions caused by injected drugs
  • Loss of memory and ability to make an informed decision
  • Increases chance of liver damage or failure
  • Drugs can affect unborn babies and raise the chance of premature birth

Treatment Therapies and Medication to Treat Drug and Substance Abuse 

Detoxification

Detox aims to get the patient off drugs. Detoxification is helpful to severely addicted persons to drugs or substance abuse. However, during detoxification, a patient should be medically monitored as practiced in detox Phoenix because withdrawal symptoms may be fatal.

Contingency Management (CM)

CM is an addiction management method that provides tangible rewards to motivate or encourage an addict to retain sobriety and other positive actions. It helps treat various types of drug abuse disorders for substances such as alcohol and marijuana, among others. The treatment reduces the chances of relapse and dropping out.

Medical treatment

Patients require medications to manage the withdrawal symptoms and treat recurring conditions in patients with various addictions. A person who uses more than one drug requires a cure for all the substances or drugs they use.

Alcohol: The medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA for curing alcohol addiction are; Acamprosate, which reduces major symptoms of withdrawal such as anxiety, dysphoria, etc. Disulfiram helps to flush out alcohol in the body, and Naltrexone acts as a substitute for alcohol cravings.

Tobacco: The two approved medications for nicotine addiction are varenicline and bupropion.

Opioids: The permitted medications for suppressing withdrawal symptoms are methadone, buprenorphine, and Naltrexone.

Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT aims to help patients give up the habits that back up drug abuse and teach them better surviving skills. This therapy mostly helps treat personality disorders like borderline personality disorder and decreases drug desire.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

This therapy helps patients acquire positive thoughts about life and understand their feelings. The core goal of REBT is to assist the patient to realize that the basis of their thoughts is within them but not influenced by external factors.

12-Step Facilitation

The main aim of this therapy program is to encourage patients to abstain from alcohol, cocaine, narcotics, etc., with the help of other people. It also an eye-opener for patients to realize they have a problem and get the urge to quit the habit.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

The program aims to help recovering patients enjoy and embrace the treatment journey to relieve them of their addiction problems. Even though a therapist facilitates MI, patients also have an inner drive to heal and live a normal life.

Conclusion

Like any other ailments, addiction patients may also like to get well soon and live a drug-free life. But since the disease affects the brain’s functions, these patients may undergo discrimination from the community and family members who may see them as failures.

So, if your neighbor or someone you know has an addiction disease, take quick action and take them for medication.

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